Flood Threat Still Strong As 3 Killed In Colorado

BOULDER, Colo. — A large, potent storm system that dumped up to 10 inches of rain over central Colorado has killed at least three people and forced the evacuations of hundreds. Cities and towns along the state’s Front Range braced Thursday for a fresh pummeling of flooding.

Boulder County was hit hardest, with up to 6 inches of rain falling over 12 hours. Flooding was reported along a 130-mile swath from Colorado Springs to north of Fort Collins, closing dozens of roads, including parts of Highway 36 between Estes Park and Lyons, a town 15 miles north of Boulder cut off by high water.

Denver’s KUSA-TV reported one person was killed in the collapse of a home in Jamestown, a mountain community isolated by washed out roads. Colorado Springs police found a second victim in Fountain Creek while patrolling west of the city. A third victim was recovered from a north Boulder home Thursday morning.

The National Weather Service, which early Thursday posted a bulletin warning of “Biblical” rainfall in some areas, forecast 6 to 10 inches could fall through the weekend. Residents of canyons nestled in the foothills remained at risk of flash floods.